ASU FOOTBALL: Improvement is Rams' spring focus

ASU to build on strengths from fall season

Washington will try to pick up where he left off last fall at quarterback.

SAN ANGELO, Texas - After more than two months of plenty of weight lifting but no football, the Angelo State Rams are ready to begin their spring practices.

The spring session starts with an 8 p.m. practice today at San Angelo Stadium. It's the first of 14 practices for the team, which will be followed by the annual spring game April 13.

With loads of returners back from last season — ASU lost only two starters on each side of the ball — optimism is high for a breakthrough in the fall after back-to-back 5-6 seasons.

Yet some of the players expected to lead the way, including senior quarterback Blake Hamblin, won't be participating in the spring workouts.

Hamblin, along withsenior wide receiverDakarai Pecikonis — the two biggest stars of last year's spring game — both will be sidelined with knee injuries.

Senior running back Jermie Calhoun, who appears to be the front-runner for the starting job, also will have to sit out due to the 10-semester rule, which prevents him from participating this semester.

Those absences will give others some valuable playing time over the next four weeks, including 6-foot-5 sophomore quarterback Kyle Washington, who played well in the final two games last year after Hamblin's injury.

"It's an exciting time for us," ASU head coach Will Wagner said. "Getting out of the weight room, where all the guys have been since the first of January, and getting on the field and actually doing football-specific things is always exciting.

"The kids are excited about the opportunity to go out there and compete for a spot, and the younger kids who redshirted are really excited to get to prove themselves."

Wagner said he hopes to see his team make strides through each of the next practice sessions.

"The main thing I want to see is competition. I want everyone to push each other," Wagner said. "Obviously, we want to get better in some areas. There are some areas where we felt like we fell short last season. It's time for us to see younger kids that redshirted to go out and compete for a spot, because we'll be counting on some of those guys come this fall.

"And the last thing is I just hope to get through these 15 practices healthy and end on a positive note that can kind of propel you through the summer and into the fall season."

With so many returners, Wagner said he feels many of his players will have the opportunity to fine-tune what they have already learned.

The entire offensive line returns, along with numerous starters on a defense that was ranked No. 2 in the Lone Star Conference.

Among those returners is junior linebacker Rush Seaver, who led the team last year with 79 tackles despite missing nearly all of the final three games with an injury.

"We're changing some of our terminology up on offense to make it a little bit easier for our guys, so there will be a little bit of a learning curve there," Wagner said. "From a defensive standpoint, this is an opportunity to improve on their technique and get better for the fall. We have some good things we're building off this past season. We were one of the top-ranked defenses in the conference.

"On offense, at times they showed they can be one of the best in the conference. They're just lacking the consistency."

On offense, the Rams will have to replace their leading receiver, C.J. Akins (48 catches for 781 yards and seven touchdowns) and leading rusher,Donavan Roberts (461 yards, four TDs).

With Pecikonis out this spring, Joey Knight (33-476, six TDs) is the top returning receiver. Blake Smith and Samir Baker, each of whom rushed for less than 200 yards last season, are the top returning running backs.

The most intriguing position to watch, however, could be at quarterback where Washington will try to pick up where he left off last fall.

He was 12-of-16 for 189 yards and three TDs in his debut, a 38-21 win over Incarnate Word. The next week in the season finale, he was 27-of-42 for 245 yards with three TDs and one interception in a 54-37 loss to Tarleton State.

He'll be sharing snaps with another sophomore, Warren Truesdale, who was also solid in limited action last season.

Wagner said freshmen QBs Blake Waggoner and Jacob Burtch could also see playing time.

Last year's spring game was a fun one as the Rams' offense fell behind early before Hamblin directed two last-minute scoring drives to lead them to a 63-56 win over the defense.

Wagner said he hopes to have another competitive battle like that this year.

"The spring game is a full-go competition, so our guys let it all hang out," Wagner said. "They're going to go out there and show what they can do in a competitive setting. Officials will be involved. We'll have first downs and touchdowns and everything.

"It'll have a gamelike feel and setting so our guys can go out and compete and show how they respond under pressure."